Label(s): Dim Mak Records / Rogue RecordsThis post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #7.

You can download: the June Mix#6 right hereor get the new July 2016 Mix#7 here.

The 2-piece outfit NEON BLONDE was Johnny Whitney and Mark Gajadhar's initial side project from The Blood Brothers. Used primarily as an outlet for Johnny's experimental, electronic and pop side, in retrospect the band came off sounding like Johnny's solo album written between 'Crimes' and 'Young Machetes'. The sassy and much more rock oriented screamy post-punk sound in NEON BLONDE was the first of a few bands to come round after The Blood Brothers started gaining some much deserved attention. Whitney was already also doing The Vogue aka Soiled Doves, but when that act closed its book NEON BLONDE was started and for the most part continued that vibe with a few extreme changes. Johnny's patented lyrical content continues to impress as he spewed out line after line of dark, biting and uncomfortable imagery.

"Black Cactus Killers" is the opener, heaviest and best song on the band's only full length record titled 'Chandeliers in the Savannah'. The screamy and pompous track has some rollicking good guitar and ends up sounding a lot like The Blood Brothers' 'Crimes' days mixed with Soiled Doves' songs "Black Cactus Choir" and "Fuck This Nest". After "Black Cactus Killers" the second track "Cyrstal Beaches Never Turned Me On" sheds all screaming and most of the traditional rock instrumentation and fully infuses the keyboard and some eerie and wackadoo sounds. If there was a single I would have thought it would have been "Chandeliers and Vines" as Johnny hits some truly beautiful notes, take 2:40-2:50 for example, as he hits notes that most women would have trouble with. The rest of the 4:07 is littered with keyboard, piano and catchy lounge rock and is the second best song on the record. "Princess Skullface Sings" is a lo-fi garage rock ordeal with screaming while "New Detroit" is a swingin' good time and leads nicely into the piano/lounge driven "Headlines" that ends with some trumpets and also has a music video linked here that's pretty darn cool. NEON BLONDE also released a 12"EP with alternative/remix versions by the same name, 'Headlines' which I've heard but never bothered tracking down. "Love Hounds" is another lo-fi romp through dancey, twisted indie rock and "Dead Mellotron" sounds like The Blood Brothers on acid. "Cherries in Slow Motion" is one of the most melodic and accessible songs on the record along with the subsequent "The Future is a Mesh Stallion" which is nearly identical to the foray of experimental lounge pop that Johnny Whitney fleshed out with the final Jaguar Love record 'Hologram Jams'. The closer "Wings Made Out of Noise" begins much like a standard post-punk/rock affair, save for that infernal beeping that permeates throughout the track and is certainly an song.

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